After the summer’s £100million shopping spree, many Spurs fans accepted that this January would be a quiet transfer window – but the sale of Jermain Defoe to MLS side Toronto has changed those expectations.

When the Englishman leaves for Canada for around £8million – which I think is good business from Spurs for a 31-year-old – we must have a striker replacement for the remainder of the season, be it temporary or permanent.

If the club does not act then we will be left with just two senior forwards in Emmanuel Adebayor and Roberto Soldado for what could amount to 18 games, if Spurs can reach the Europa League final. That is simply unacceptable.

The striker crisis deepens further when you consider Soldado’s performance against Crystal Palace on Saturday. The forward’s lack of movement – indeed, his lack of interest – was not befitting of a £26m signing.

The Spaniard hasn’t scored a league goal in open play since his strike at Aston Villa in October, and his form is a major concern.

The Adebayor resurrection continued against Palace as he set up Christian Eriksen’s opener, but Spurs supporters know how quickly the Togolese forward can go off the boil. And, with head coach Tim Sherwood preferring to go with two strikers in a 4-4-2 system, there is a case for another option anyway.

Sherwood knows all about Harry Kane, who has impressed in his brief appearances this season with his tireless work ethic and physical presence – but the 20-year-old has never scored a Premier League goal and can’t be the replacement for a striker of Defoe’s experience and quality.

With Daniel Levy unlikely to splash serious cash in January – proven in the last two winter windows – a loan signing would suit best, and Juventus forward Mirko Vucinic fits the bill.

A deal for the Montenegrin has been mooted, and he seems to tick most of the boxes. At 30 years old, he is an experienced striker who has reached double figures in all but one of his last five seasons and, having played just eight games in Serie A this season, he has been a peripheral figure under Juve boss Antonio Conte. A loan would suit all parties.

Spurs should learn from the lessons of the last three January windows – where they lost out on a top-four spot because they failed to sign a striker – by bringing in Vucinic, who can add the firepower needed to secure Champions League football.

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